Week: August 29th – September 2nd

by Souper | Sep 2, 2016 | Summer Staff

It’s the last week of summer season here at Gleanings. The nature tells us, it’s almost fall. But in the spiritual realm it’s been Spring time here all week.

The leader from the Won By One team shared that in the Bible there are many stories but they all have a common theme. It’s saying YES to God. It’s a choice but when you choose to say YES You Encourage the Spirit to move through you and take you on an adventure filled life with God.

This week there were many yeses. That means that the rains came and many new spring buds were starting to grow in people hearts. It’s been a week of celebrating new life in Christ.

This song was lived out this week:

It’s always like springtime with You, making all things new

Your light is breaking through the dark

Bringing joy, bringing life

You make me come alive

Lots of work was done to finish up the season. Major cleanups – cleaning the plant and forklifts, cleaning around the tray shed and organizing trays, emptying dorms, repainting some walls, making soup and of course finishing to bucket the last dried fruit. Great week with great people.

Thank you all who came to serve alongside us this Summer, without you we couldn’t do what we did. Your hands, prayers and financial support have been greatly appreciated and work done with excellence as unto the Lord. Thank you from all the Gleanings staff. Till next season…

Week: August 22nd-27th

by Souper | Aug 27, 2016 | Summer Staff

There are mixed emotions in the air at the last week of fresh fruit. We have been reflecting back on the Summer as a whole, and are excited, looking forward to the next season.

We started the week, still processing peaches, we heard the usual rumble of forklifts and the plant bell ringing once in a while, and laughter and joy in the midst of all the noise.  Wednesday came and a tear of sentiment came down my cheek as I took a picture of last peach bin being dumped.

On Thursday and Friday soup plant was filled with cheering sounds and the smell of garlic powder. Other work activities included Summer dorms being transformed back into their Winter mode. And I have a little news for all the quilters that come, the quilt room is getting a makeover, the old carpet wall has come down and fresh wooden pallet wall is going up with a fresh paint.

As I reflect on this Summer the scripture from Zechariah 8:12 come to mind:

“The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.”

God has planted many people here this Summer. He has watered them, pruned them, and done His work in them – literally produced spiritual and physical fruit.  It’s not all over yet. It seems like the harvest has come, but there is more. We harvest what God produced and we continue to plant a new seed. There is still shipping the food, giving it to the hungry soul and seeing it grow and multiply from glory to glory.

It was an amazing summer with 2,000,000 servings of soup made, 6,000,000 Lbs. of fresh fruit processed, 420,000 Lbs. of dried fruit buckets, ready to be shipped by almost 1,000 volunteers. That’s one summer serving God here at Gleanings.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!

Week: August 15th-20th

by Souper | Aug 20, 2016 | Summer Staff

This week I sensed a great hunger to get to know God better, to know Him for who He is, to drink from the well of living water. People have been open to share their heart, open to learn more. And it hasn’t been a prideful or I know it all kind of thing, it’s been real and raw, and full of encouragement to grow together, to learn together. It felt like one big family that shares with each other, that listens to each other, and is there for each other. It wasn’t so much focused on our problems and struggles, as it was sharing the testimonies how God met us.  How I was tired but now I am filled with joy, I was lost but now I am found.

I think even though there was lots of hard work to be done, this week felt very restful. All the storms around us were quieted and peace, love, and joy surrounded this place and each individual.

I am reminded of the story of the prodigal son the part where the Father’s arms are wrapped around his son and the Father’s kisses are on his cheek and His robe of glory is upon his son as the feast of love begins. I think something shifted here this week, it was returning home kind of week and people felt that they are being embraced by the Father, and that He is speaking over them: ‘You are worthy!’ Week of celebrations and breakthroughs!

Blessed to be part of it!

Week: August 8th – 13th

by Souper | Aug 13, 2016 | Summer Staff

Saturday morning sharing time was amazing. People shared their hearts about forgiveness, that they have been able to forgive and how freeing it is. They have shared how crazy it is that God speaks through little things like work and peaches. They have heard God speaking to them this week and we have seen dreams being birthed into people hearts.

I’d like to share two of the stories from this morning:

“As I was on my walk with Jesus this week, He showed me a beautiful picture, how we are the little kids in the kitchen wanting to help with cooking, and God is the parent. He doesn’t need our help, and we might make a mess and ruin the whole recipe, but He still allows us to be part of His plan, and allows us to work alongside with Him. He is patient and kind, and very gracious, and encouraging. And with our willingness and His help the Kingdom is brought down to earth.”

“I saw a picture that we are on a relay race, and some of the runners are fast and strong and some not so much, but they have the same mission to get the baton to the finish lane and do it as best as they can. And I saw Wally Wenge and his dream; he had nothing to achieve it, but he said ‘YES’ to God, because he believed that he can do all things through Christ. And he might not have seen all the parts of the race coming together but many years later we see the fruit of Wally’s obedience to say ‘YES’ to God.”

There is blessing in obedience. Obedience comes long before we understand. And it’s ok because we are not supposed to lean on our own understanding. Looking forward to hearing about the fruit that will come from saying YES this week.

God will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! Through His mighty power at work within us, He will outdo them all. – Ephesians 3:20

I hope you all are encouraged, because we all are!

Week: August 1st-6th

by Souper | Aug 6, 2016 | Summer Staff

It’s hard to believe that we have already entered the last month of peach season.

Even though, everyone is very encouraging, building each other up with a kind word, smile or helping hand there is a sense of tiredness all around. And again a scripture comes to mind:

Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. -Exodus 17:12

We need your prayers as much as the hands who come to work, you are the Aaron and Hur to us, to lift us up, to hold us in your prayers, so we can finish the Summer race without weariness and burden, but with joy and rest in the Lord.

Through it all, we saw and experienced abundance of encouragement and blessing this week. We had a barber to come and cut hair for the staff and summer staff. We were able to pray over and sent a truckload of goodies to our partner ministry Hope of the Nations in Guatemala. And praying over us a scripture from Philippians 4:13 “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and being reminded that it’s not us but Christ in us, together we processed 633,000 Lbs. of fresh fruit and 43,682 Lbs. of dried fruit, that’s full truckload of hope for the hungry.